For the coast-chasers and beach-lovers, the county of Kent in South East England is a real haven. With its extensive coastline home to more than 50 beaches all ranging in size and character, it offers a huge number of places to chase the tide and relax in the fresh sea air. Whether you’re after bustling resorts, wild reserves, hidden coves or long swathes perfect for walks by the shore, there is a beach just right for you in Kent.
While you could easily fill your days following the coast and exploring each of Kent’s beautiful beaches, you may find yourself quickly running out of time. Treating you to some of our favourites, we’ve picked out ten of the best beaches in Kent, from the atmospheric landscapes of Dungeness to the powdery sands of Stone Bay.
Botany Bay
When the tide is out, Broadstairs’ Botany Bay (so called after smugglers were found there and sent to Botany Bay in Australia) makes for one of the most beautiful and intriguing beaches in Kent. Framed by huge white cliffs and towering chalk stacks and peppered with fossils, it’s somewhere you can spend hours simply exploring and admiring. Lifeguards are on duty in summer and there’s a café nearby.
Deal Beach
With its seafront houses, salt-kissed fishing pier, boat-strewn shore and Tudor castle, Deal Beach is one of the most interesting along the Kentish coastline. As popular with picnickers as with windsurfers alike, this 3-mile-long shingle beach provides all the space for leisure and play. There are also lots of facilities available in Deal town, so you can stock up on goodies or enjoy a cooked meal.
Dungeness Beach
Unlike any other beach in Kent, Dungeness Beach has a unique appeal of its own. Dog-friendly year-round, this wild beach is one that has captured the attention of countless artists over the years and has an almost Martian feel – dubbed England’s only desert. If you head over in summer, pay a visit to Dungeness Snack Shack which serves up dishes of fresh, sustainably-caught fish and seafood.
Folkestone Beach
Set between Sandgate Beach and Folkestone’s Harbour Arm is Folkestone’s Beach – a sand and shingle beach sheltered between eye-catching stone sea defences. Not far from Folkestone’s attractions and eateries yet offering plenty of space to play, it’s a great one for all the family. It’s also backed by a seafront promenade that connects to neighbouring beaches – perfect for cycling.
Kingsgate Bay
The dog-friendly Kingsgate Beach is set between Joss Beach and Botany Bay. Sheltered by high cliffs that are etched with caves and boasting thick layers of golden sand, it is one of the area’s quieter beaches and offers a much more natural feel. There are no facilities on the beach and no lifeguard service in summer, but there is a restaurant on the cliffs above the beach should you get peckish.
Margate Beach
For those who love entertainment and adventure during a beach holiday, there are few places more exciting than the award-winning Margate Beach in Kent. Within a stone’s throw of Margate’s train station and overlooked by Dreamland – a traditional seaside amusement park and one of the top attractions in Kent – this sandy beach is a real hit with fun-seekers of all generations.
Sheerness Beach
The sand and shingle beach of Sheerness is located on the Isle of Sheppey, close to where the River Thames and River Medway meet the North Sea. Traced by a seafront promenade, you can find lots of benches at the top of the beach to take a pew – idyllic spots to sit and watch the world go by. When the wind picks up, it’s common to see sailing boats and windsurfers making the most of the conditions here.
Stone Bay
Despite its misleading name, the award-winning Stone Bay is a lovely sandy beach that boasts a gentle, flat shore perfect for paddling. One of Broadstairs’ handful of beaches, it offers great access to the town’s amenities, yet is often quieter than its neighbours. Overlooked by multi-coloured beach huts, it’s connected to Broadstairs and Viking Beach via a long seafront promenade.
Tankerton Beach
Tankerton near Whitstable is one of the top beaches in Kent for its attractive promenade, pastel-coloured beach huts, grassy slopes and pebbly shore that’s divided by wooden groynes. At low tide, you can actually walk out to sea along a natural causeway dubbed “The Street”, which makes for a novel experience. There are also lots of facilities nearby, particularly handy for families.
Viking Bay
One of the most popular beaches in Broadstairs, Viking Bay was a favourite haunt of the famous author Charles Dickens. Today, it continues to draw favour for its long sandy beach, cliff-top promenade and classic beach huts that add a flurry of colour to the scene. Ideal for water-lovers, Viking Bay is even home to a surf school that operates in the summer months and is open to all ages and abilities.
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